25/03/2010
NEWS STORY
This week, DAMS took part in the first 2010 collective test for GP2 teams on the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit in the south of France. The French squad used the three-day session to prepare for the coming season. Each day, a different circuit layout was used: short with Barcelona-type downforce on the first day, and on the second, long with downforce levels more like Monza and Spa-Francorchamps, and on the final day, a twisty layout akin to Monaco. Today, the soft tyres were replaced by the medium rubber used on Tuesday and Wednesday.
This test session was the first time that the cars appeared in their new livery, the Renault-inspired F1 Junior Team black and yellow colours, in which Jerome d'Ambrosio from Belgium and Ho Pin-Tung from China, the Renault F1 Team's two reserve drivers, took to the track. Over the first two days, both DAMS drivers made regular appearances in the top 5, which bodes well for the coming season.
Next month, DAMS will continue its preparations for the 2010 championship in the second and final collective test session on the Barcelona circuit from 7th to 9th April. The Spanish track will host the first round of the 2010 GP2 Series Championship a month later (8th-9th May), during the F1 Spanish Grand Prix weekend.
Loic David, General Manager: "It's the first run in preparation for a season that we're tackling with high ambitions. We've got new colours and new faces, and it takes time to put it all together. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the first two days testing in very changeable track conditions. We worked on both the mechanical and aerodynamic aspects, and we've found a few avenues to explore that should help make us competitive. The final day, which was perturbed by several red flags, was less productive."
Jerome d'Ambrosio: "We had ups and downs during the session. We set some good times, especially in the afternoon on the first day, but we've still got a lot of work to do to fit all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together at the right time in the right place. The fact that we ran on different circuit layouts has helped us to prepare for the majority of circuits that we'll race on this season. The extra three days in Barcelona will be very useful to help us continue our preparation."
Ho Pin-Tung: "I'm delighted to be back at the wheel of a GP2 car, especially in the colours of the Renault F1 Junior Team. I needed a little time to get used to this type of car again, as I hadn't driven for quite some time. These three days were really constructive. We made a lot of changes on the second day and things improved a lot. It was also the case on the final day even if it's not obvious from the times. I was very good on worn rubber but unfortunately a red flag ruined my run on new tyres. The most important thing is that we've found some interesting paths to follow. I can't wait to continue testing in Barcelona."